Let's go to the movies!

So has anyone seen any good movies lately?

Appropriately, David & I went to go see two movies within the past week that had to do with pregnancy (how often does that happen, that there are two movies out at the same time about being pregnant?!), both of which were wonderful. Waitress, a Sundance Film Festival hit with Keri Russell as the star, was very well done, had a great message and was very touching. There was a lot of "food porn" as David calls it, because Keri's character bakes scrumptious gourmet pies to deal with her unwanted pregnancy and boorish husband. (To watch a preview trailer for this movie, click here and then click the yellow "Watch Trailer" button)

And before that, of course, we saw Knocked Up (definitely click the yellow "Watch Trailer" button when you visit that link!). I can only say that even if you have no interest in children (or having them) whatsoever, this movie will make you howl with laughter. It was absolutely sidesplitting - especially as an expectant mother. I laughed so hard I was initially worried about upsetting Peaches (nicknames for our baby depend on which article of produce s/he most represents the size of during any given week) but s/he seems to like and be soothed by motion and laughter - even my horn playing - , which is good. There were a few scenes which were so hysterical I had to catch my breath and actually got dizzy from laughing so hard. The only caution I would offer is that if you have a prudish sense of humor - if movies like South Park or Borat offend you, for example - you might be a bit in over your head. I also would not recommend drinking or eating anything unless you enjoy liquids flying out of your nose and the person next to you is well versed in the Heimlich. Uproarious!

I also cried like an idiot at the end of both movies when the baby was handed to the mother for the first time. What is happening to me!?!?

Over the past several months I've also slowly but surely used my Netflix account, which I still love. Sometimes I watch 2-3 movies in 2 weeks; sometimes it's over a month before I have time to sit down and watch anything. But it's always just 10 bucks a month for whatever I decide, no late fees. And the selection of movies on Netflix is unrivaled and I'm quite sure that I wouldn't find half the movies on my queue at Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. Anyhoo, here are some of the ones I've watched with my ratings for them:

Fat Girl - a disturbing foreign film (in French with English subtitles) with a shocking commentary on girls' self esteem and body image issues. I thought this was a brilliant film, but it was extremely violent and quite unsettling. My rating: 3 stars.

Mysterious Skin - yet another disturbing one but still thought provoking and extremely interesting. Two young boys suffer the same childhood trauma and the movie tracks how they differently they each deal with it through their adolescence. Also quite violent, but very thought provoking. My rating: 3 stars.

Unfaithful - The classically hot Diane Lane/Richard Gere movie about a woman who has an affair, and how it destroys everyone involved. I thought the plot was set up particularly creatively because her marriage seemed quite healthy and she had a great life before she started the affair. My rating: 4 stars.

Aeon Flux - And now for something completely different! This was a futuristic post-apocalyptic vision of the 25th century. Based on MTV's animated adventure series of the same name, Charlize Theron stars as Aeon Flux, an assassin for a secret rebellious force against a totalitarian government. As a true Xena and Buffy fan, I love watching women kick ass, but I had a hard time getting into the whole Sci-Fi thing. This is mostly me though - I am not much of a fantasy or sci-fi kind of girl. My rating: 3 stars.

Next on my Netflix queue are four comedies (which I sure need, after the heavy hitters I've been watching!! Sheesh!): Beauty Shop, Imagine Me and You, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Wedding Crashers. I probably won't be able to fit them all in before I leave for Breckenridge, but I'm still looking forward to them.

So....have you seen any good movies lately? What do you recommend?